Tuesday, 30 November 2010

I went to a job interview at a woman's center today.They got all sorts of classes there and also a charityshop and I hope to be able to work there next year.It might only be two days a week but it's not themoney that's important to me, it's the "good deed".

I had a look in their charity shop and I manage toget myself some really nice bargains.

Bolero, £1.25.I got one just like this already but the one I got hasproven to be essential so now I have one as a spare.

Vintage pencil skirt, £3.I've been looking for a black pencil skirt that actuallygoes below the knees for ages!It's also a proper make, no crap. Wool blend.The enigma is how on earth I can fit my big ass into aUK size 8. :))(US 6/EUR 36)

Not much else have happened.Well, I did start to go to the gym yesterday.My goal is to be as fit as I was in May and get my23 inch waist back (it's currently 25 inches).Most of all I want to boost my flow of endorphins.I'm very low and extremely unsocial right now andI must break the cycle before it gets worse.

Sunday, 28 November 2010

Relish is such an unappreciated type of food.Most people just use it on their burgers at BBQ's.I'm gonna encourage you to use it all year round, notjust on burgers and without using many ingredients.As you might know by now I try my best to be frugaland I really hate when food goes to waste.We often buy fruit and veg in bulk from greengrocers(it's much cheaper) and that sometimes means we geta lot of one thing.Last week we had tons of peppers in the fridge and Ididn't want them to go off so I made relish.

This is what you do:Rinse and de-seed the peppers, chop them into smallpieces. (I never use green peppers, they are bitter.)Put them in a pan, add a dash of water and bring tothe boil.Add a dash of malt vinegar, a little bit of salt and justa pinch of brown sugar, to bring out the flavour, youdon't want the relish to be too sweet, trust me.Simmer under lid on medium heat until soft.When done, mash them up a bit with a potato masher.Let it cool down and then put in jars.Keep refrigerated.

Mixed pepper relish is very yummy on eggs, burgers,pizza, in sauces and dressing and in bolognese.

Friday, 26 November 2010

I made these two cocktail hats last night.I didn't feel too good, mentally, so I escaped to craftyland for a couple of hours, it usually cheers me up a bit,it takes my mind off things.I'm very much into birds and butterflies at the moment,I wonder if it has got a subconscious meaning, that I wantto get away for a while?

This one got a bit of an Art Deco feel to it.I love the black, white and silver combination.

I made the feather tail myself, it makes it looksofter and more realistic.I think he looks so cute in his little gold nest.

Thursday, 25 November 2010

We got a lot of 1950-1960's plastic wicker stuffin our little house.Everywhere there's wicker, in my closet, in myhobby room, in the lounge, in the kitchen, andeven in the bedroom.You can say that we're a bit obsessed.Wicker maniacs.

Monday, 22 November 2010

Ha ha ha! The title of this post really sound likeI went to Mad Hatters tea party or something.No tea party, just a rather relaxed weekend.Pizza and movies in bed, just like it should be. :))I didn't just pig out in bed, I made two new hatsand tried out one of the 1950's sewing patternsI got in the post the week before.

The reason for the relaxed weekend was becauseme and my man was celebrating being together for3 years and 11 months.I really looking forward to our 4 year anniversarynext month.Our plan is to go to South London Pacific to seeThe Keytones and have a cocktail or two.I love that place, (it's a Tiki bar, what's not to love?)wish we'd go there more often...

Got these beautiful orange roses.

Perfect timing, needed to trim down the old rosesanyway (want them to last as long as possible) sothey had to move to a smaller vase.

I also made two new cocktail hats.For sale! Red hat click here, gold hat click here.

This is what you do:Put the oven on 175 degrees °C.Use a round non stick baking tin with detachablebottom.Put the raspberries in the baking tin.Whisk eggs and sugar thoroughly with an electricwhisk.Mix the dry ingredients and pour it into the eggmix and whisk until smooth.Pour into the baking tin and bake in the middleof the oven for about 30 - 35 min.

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Yesterday me and my man took my father in law toBarnet hospital to have some minor surgery.We bumped into Tim from The Polecats in the lobbyon the way out, nice to see him back in the UK.Didn't want to sit in the awful waiting room for hourson end so we went scouting the local charity shops.Did quite well...

Click on the images for larger versions.1960's table cloth, £3.50.I'm gonna do what my grandmother did back in thedays, she made full circle skirts or ponchos out oftable cloths she didn't use.

1940's leather gloves, £1.50.

1960's/1970's scarf, £1.

1950's girls dress, £4.I'm in two minds about this dress.I don't know if I should make a lovely skirt for myselfor keep it as it is, I might get a daughter in the future.What would you do?

Close up.

1960's jumpsuit, £5.Yes, I know this one is totally mad but I couldn'tresist it and it made my fat ass look good too! :))It was £7.50 but I got it for £5 since the zipperwas broken.

Monday, 15 November 2010

Today we finally had some sunshine so me and myman took a long walk after our morning coffee.We also went to look at a cute Victorian house that'sfor sale. We absolutely loved it but both the gardenand the house itself was a bit on the small side eventhough it got 4 bedrooms.(It's not the entire house, it's semi-detached.)The street the house is on really capture exactly mychildhood fantasy how it would look like in England.I'm sorry to say that there's not Victorian houses onnarrow streets everywhere you go.Wouldn't that be swell though?

Click on the image for larger version.

Afterwards I went to my local haberdasher to havea look at fabrics, I ended up falling in love with thiscute bunny rabbit fabric.My plan is to use it for a top, 1940's tie top perhapswith light blue bias.

Click on the image for larger version.

When we got home we were starving so I made us avery nice Tai soup (water chestnut, bamboo shoots,baby corn, red and orange peppers, red curry pasteand coconut milk) served with rice.For dessert we had my home baked Elvis cake andcoffee.I made some cakes on Saturday for my man to taketo the recording studio as a treat for the band.The Elvis cake was actually an experiment where Iused my recipe for the fat free apple cake, withoutapples and cinnamon, of course.Instead I added bananas and peanut butter.What a treat it turned out to be!Moist and full of flavor.

This is what you do:Put the oven on 175 degrees °C.Use a round non stick baking tin with detachablebottom.Peel the bananas and mash them up with a fork.Whisk eggs and sugar thoroughly with an electricwhisk.Mix the dry ingredients and pour it into the eggmix and whisk until smooth.Add the bananas and the peanut butter, mix well.Pour into the baking tin and bake in the middleof the oven for about 30 min.

My man went into the studio yesterday to record an EPso I had the house for myself for the day so I decided tohave a little sort out in my hobby room and finish someprojects.First I altered a 1950's bullet bra I got at a jumble salefor 10 pence (1 Kr/$0.15/€0.10).The cups were fine but the circumference was way toobig for me, so I shortened the clasp in the back and theelastic in the front.

I also revamped the vintage scarf/shawl I got the otherday for £1 (11 Kr/$1.15/€1.15).Last time I went to Sweden I got this purple pom pomtrim from my cousin and I was happy to find this scarfbecause the colors really match.It looks great together with my £2 1970's boots and my£2 black Dorthy Perkins coat.

Click on the images for larger versions.

I started working on 3 1940's tie tops as well.I would have finished them but I ran out of thread andbias.

Saturday, 13 November 2010

Got a 1950's halter top sewing pattern and a1950's play suit in the mail this morning.(Yes, we do get mail on Saturday over here.)

I snagged the pattern on eBay for £5.36 andthe play suit on Etsy for $20.Yeah, I know I'm a bit nuts for buying summerwear when everyone else is buying warm andcosy knit wear and thick coats. :))I do love summer and it's my way of escapingthe dull winters we got over here.It's nice to have something to look forward to.

Friday, 12 November 2010

I start to get tired of myself as a blogger, there's onlyposts about what I won on eBay and what I managedto snag in charity shops.And guess what? Here's another one!

Had a feeling that I would find something nice today.Also found yet another charity shop in town, thoughtit was new but they've been there for years.They had really good prices so I will definitely be aregular from now on.

1950's/1960's shot glasses with stand, £2.80.

Vintage scarf, £1.

Miss Selfridge bolero, £1.55.

I also went into Primark to have a quick look on thesale rails and found this cute dress.It was the very last one and it cost only £5.

I don't know about you but every year I buy myselfa birthday present, something I really, really like.This year I found myself something extra special andit arrived with the post this morning.It did cost a bit more than I would usually spend on apattern ($38 including shipping) but I doubt I wouldfind this particular pattern again for less.

As you probably know by now I'm crazy about 1940'sand 1950's summer wear.This one is from the 1940's and I can't wait to try andmake this ensemble for myself.

So, do you do the same and if so, what have you givenyourself on your past birthdays?

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Got this little thing from my man today.I love the fact that it looks like a little doctor's bag.

Oh yes, before I forget! I added more items in myEtsy shop today AND there's a sale going on.I lowered the prices on a lot of stuff and most ofmy fascinator hats are also on sale!Feel free to have a look!

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

Haven't really been able to do much lately,I got this stubborn flu thing that just won'tgo away.Mostly I've been in bed watching moviesand scouting for 1940's and 1950's sewingpatterns, added a whole lot of them to mywish list for my upcoming birthday in earlyDecember.

It's rather funny how a wish list changeswhen you get older, ten years ago I wouldprobably wished for something pricey, likea corset or the latest mobile phone.This year I only wish for sewing patterns.Ten years from now I guess I've come tothe point when I got everything and onlywish for my kids to behave themselves. :))

Felt sorry for myself over the weekend so Itreated myself to this lovely pattern for theslim sum of £3.46 including shipping.

WHO IS MISS RASCAL?

I'm a Jewish dame from Sweden who got swept off my feet by a brown eyed handsome man (musician, of course) and ended up here in the UK almost 8 years ago. I'm obsessed with the 1940's
and 1950's, my home is filled to the brim with goodies from that era.
I design and create vintage style jewelry and accessories.
In my free time I'm a magpie, I really love scouting for vintage bargains. I do try to reduce my carbon foot print and spend as little as possible, therefore I rather buy vintage and second hand. This blog is my personal space where I write about my frugal lifestyle, finds and creations. Hopefully you will be inspired to do something creative too.